NASCAR Cup Series

NASCAR looks at new rear spoiler for Cup cars

Published Jan. 7, 2010 12:00 a.m. ET

foxsports

NASCAR held meetings with a select number of drivers and team owners at the R&D Center in Concord, N.C., on Thursday to discuss the best way for the sport to present itself to the public moving forward before the season starts.

But the sanctioning body has worked on more than just image in the offseason.

At the top of the list from the technical side appears to be searching for a solution to keep Sprint Cup cars from lifting off the track during a spin. Consequently, NASCAR could introduce a spoiler for the new car as early as the Bristol or Martinsville race, sources told FOXSports.com on Thursday.

The spoiler change is two-fold -- to keep cars from launching and in response to fans' dislike of the wing, according to sources.

Calls made to the governing body of the sport were not returned.

Ryan Newman, who was involved in a horrific crash at Talladega on Nov. 1, said last month he would welcome the change.

“They need to decrease the lift off in the car when it’s going backwards,” Newman said. “Whatever they can do to do that in respect to the wing, and secondly, in regard to the roof flaps because reducing the lift when the car goes backwards is one thing but creating down force when the car goes backwards is another thing. The compensation of those two creates the net effect. But if you don’t have lift, then you don’t have to worry about the down force. I’m sure those are the things that they’re looking at.”

NASCAR tested a Cup car at the Dodge wind tunnel in December but more testing will need to be completed on the spoilers before the data is expected to be released to teams the first week of March. Despite offseason testing, teams are at a loss in regards to what the dimension of the spoiler will be or the angle at which it will be set. Certainly, teams will need additional testing since the spoiler will change the current handling characteristics of the cars. However, the move is expected to improve the overall quality of the racing.

NASCAR would provide teams with spoilers similar to way the wings are currently distributed at the racetrack if the change goes into effect.